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SEATTLE -- The best learning takes place in context, thinks Barb Brandewie, Defense Contract Management Agency Boeing Seattle Keystone coordinator and earned value specialist. “There’s no substitute for sitting in a Stryker armored vehicle, seeing the last wings of an F-22 ship out or standing on the flightline of the C-17 Globemaster III to convey the scope and significance of the work we do at DCMA,” she said.
“Whether it is something as small as a pencil or as large as an airplane, contract administrators, engineers, quality assurance representatives and all government personnel get products into the hands of the right people at the right time,” said Brandewie. “The Keystones, who spend long hours at their desks doing paperwork, often ask me questions about the work in the field. It got me thinking that the best way to connect them to the end-product would be to actually go and see.”
With her own unique blend of energy and enthusiasm, Brandewie pulled together an ambitious schedule for five interns under her tutelage at the Boeing Plant facility. Brian Johnson, Seattle Keystone coordinator and administrative contracting officer, joined the tour with his two interns from the Geographic Seattle Office.
The group toured facilities at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash., and got a close-up look at highly specialized products like the C-17 Globemaster III and the Stryker. The tours gave the interns a fuller understanding of how contract management offices play a part in the process of delivering equipment to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
“John Minaker, Brian LaVergne and Patricia Monahan, DCMA quality assurance representatives, were instrumental in formulating the Globemaster tour at McChord, and the Stryker tour at Fort Lewis,” said Brandewie. “I couldn’t have pulled this off without them.”
Days before Boeing delivered the Air Force’s 209th Globemaster to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the DCMA Keystones stood on the tarmac and saw first-hand how their work as contract administrators and engineers ends up in the skies, on the runways and in hangars across this country and overseas.
At McChord, Keystones met with LaVergne, Minaker and Boeing employees who briefed them on how DCMA and Boeing keep Globemasters flying and ready to perform their global airlift mission. After the briefings, the group toured one airplane on the flight line where they sat in the cockpit, saw demonstrations of its on-load/off-load capabilities, paratroop drop systems, and emergency and maintenance systems.
“It was cool to drive out onto the flight line and walk around in such a big aircraft,” said Victoria Lum, DCMA Keystone engineer. “It was also interesting to hear from people who used it out in the field and to imagine what it might be like.”
“I know what an absolute luxury it is to work with a quality product in combat situations,” said Air Force Maj. Steve Roycroft, engineering team chief at DCMA Boeing Seattle.
Roycroft, who recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan, believes it gives warfighters peace of mind, to know DCMA employees handle their behind-the-scenes work with the utmost care. “When we are on a mission, not to have to worry about whether a piece of equipment is going to function correctly, and instead focus completely on the mission is the best scenario.”
The Keystones also met with Pat Monahan, DCMA quality assurance representative for Stryker, to learn how DCMA inspects and accepts new and reset Stryker vehicles. While on base at Fort Lewis, they watched the handoff of reset Strykers to 4th Brigade, 2nd Battalion soldiers, ate at the chow hall and saw how soldiers load equipment and gear into Strykers.
“From this visit, I learned more about DCMA,” said Lum. “It was a great way to learn about the different types of products our CMO supports and how DCMA is involved in the process, especially getting exposure to things done outside of the office.”
Brandewie encourages other Keystone coordinators to help their interns get out of the office and make connections with the end product and the end-users. “Keystones are our future workforce; I feel like investing our time and energy now will pay big dividends down the road,” she said.
“We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bruce Zimmerman, a DCMA retiree, who was with us on the tours,” she continued. “As one of the early pioneers of the Keystone Program, Bruce helped the program develop from its inception to its current, more mature stage. I know he must be so pleased to see how it continues to evolve.”
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2011 11:53 |
| Story ID: | 68980 |
| Location: | SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 219 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Seattle-area DCMA Keystones make connections by visiting Joint Base Lewis-McChord, by Martha Bushong, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
